This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
For automotive applications, fasteners are used to join trim or panel members to sections or metal body portions of the automobile. The requirements for these fasteners are that they be inserted into apertures of the automobile and meet requirements to both retain a component as well as provide a minimum pullout retention force such that the component is retained under given load conditions but can be removed without damaging the component. Common fastener designs include directly opposed flexible wings which deflect inwardly upon insertion of the fastener and expand by spring force to hold the fastener within an aperture such as a slot in the automobile.
Drawbacks of commonly used fasteners occur for certain applications, including the inability to accommodate multiple panel thicknesses with the same fastener, and for fasteners used to mount trim or instrument panels where it is desirable to provide a minimum height for the fastener portion extending away from the panel where the component is to be mounted. Fasteners commonly used in these applications have standoff dimensions that can interfere with flush mounting the component, thereby requiring modification of the trim component.